A Message from Mae:
Hello! I am back from my forever hiatus. About my other stories, to be honest, I will try my best to go back to them and finish them but they were made on a chapter-to-chapter basis without any real thought or story line behind them. So if I don't, I deeply apologize. As for this story, I have finally realized that writing it all out and planning is so much easier than the stuff I was pulled back in 2010.. a lot changes in 8 years, huh?
Anyway, this story will have roughly 10-12 chapters. I will finish this as I am on vacation right now. Trust me.
I really hope you like it! Thanks for reading!
"Will it hurt?"
"Of course it will hurt."
"Will it hurt a lot?"
Dailan turned to his little brother and playfully hit him on the head. "It hurts more than that time you fell out of that tree and broke your arm, remember, you monkey."
"I'm a good tree climber, okay?" Syaoran laughed and ran after his brother. "Let me see your brand!"
Dailan let out an exasperated sigh. He pulled down his shirt to reveal a scar on his left-side pectoral. It was a character, 7 strokes meaning "Li" in traditional writing.
Syaoran stared in awe. It wasn't the first time he saw it. After all, every male in his family had the same brand. It was a sign of coming to age, proving your worth. Syaoran turned 16 the next day, and in the evening would be his branding ceremony. Coincidentally, it was also his father's birthday.
Syaoran's father, Yun Li, was the leader of his clan. He was said to be the strongest warrior of the decade. He was Tomoeda's military commander once. But Yun Li had left the Kinomoto district and now owned the land between Tomoeda and the Zhang district. It was a nice piece of land, the size of a large city.
"Did you cry?" Syaoran asked, still looking at the brand on his brother's chest.
"Of course not," Dailan haughtily said as he pulled his robe back together. "I'm a man."
"So do they write my name in the Li Clan Manifest before or after my ceremony?"
Dailan turned to his brother, obviously annoyed. "Why does it matter?"
"I want to know! You're always making fun of me, that I don't exist until my name goes in that book!"
"That's because you're annoying. Hurry up, mom will get mad because my non-existent brother is so slow."
"I'm not slow!" And with that, Syaoran ran past Dailan with great speed towards home.
The next day, Syaoran woke up early. He eyed his bare upper body in the mirror to where the Li insignia would be seared on to his body. Syaoran was a lean boy, but had a muscular build. He was always helping his brother build houses in the afternoons, and would spar with his brother and their cousins in the evening. Dailan was old enough to have fought in one war. Syaoran was only 11 at the time.
"Happy birthday, my little wolf!" Yelan sang as she walked into Syaoran's room and embraced him.
"Thanks mom. But I'm too old for hugs now."
"Nonsense," Yelan said while letting him go. "My boys are never too old for hugs."
"Are you ready to go?" Yun Li, Syaoran's father, said from the hallway.
"Almost!" Syaoran shouted, grabbing his cloak. "We're going into town, just in case you get worried."
Syaoran brushed past his mother and out the door after his father.
They stopped by the market and Yun bought a large leather bag for Syaoran.
"Happy birthday, son. You will need this when we go for long voyages."
"Happy birthday, dad! I wish I had money to buy you a nice sack, too."
Yun laughed. "You staying healthy for another year is my present."
Syaoran smiled widely as they walked down the market path. Left and right, people were greeting him and his father a happy birthday. After all, everyone in town was somehow related to them. They were one big happy clan, that's how Syaoran saw it.
Next, they stopped at the grocers to check up on the preparations for the feast. The branding ceremony was a big thing; all the important family heads would be there to bear witness, while the clan-wide feast after the end was supposed to make the brand-bearer forgetful of their pain.
"I need to stop by the paper shop, I need a scroll." Yun said. "Wait here."
Syaoran nodded as Yun walked into a small shop displaying books, pens, and the like. He looked around him. The small marketplace buzzed with men, women, and children. Syaoran knew that his people lived in modesty. They did not have much but the pride to carry the Li name and the promise of the king. But they were happy. Syaoran knew everyone by name. He had learned how to ride a horse from the butcher's son. He had been recently taught how to build a makeshift hut from the grocer's wife.
Speaking of the grocer's wife, she was standing there waving at him. Syaoran smiled and waved back. But something caught his eye. In the wake of the rising sun, a glimmer of gold flashed through the trees about 25 meters away, in the forest. Syaoran blinked a couple times and it was gone.
"Let's go." Yun announced, startling Syaoran. "You ready?"
"Yeah.." Syaoran said, distracted, still staring into the forest. He allowed himself to be led away by his father, making sure he wasn't seeing things, for he saw a second gold glimmer in that forest just a second before.
Night fell.
Everyone was gathered in the main building, where the branding would take place. The heads of all the families surrounded Syaoran, who knelt on the ground before the hearth, his father, and his mother. Dailan was stationed to the immediate right side of his father. The clansmen starting from the eldest followed until the circle was complete and ended with Yelan.
"Fellow family members of the Li clan, we gather here to witness our Syaoran's rebirth as a full-grown Li."
Syaoran tried to focus on his father's words, but the sizzling of the fire and the long metal rod that stuck out took his attention. He wouldn't admit it, he was scared. He knew Dailan had cried. His mother told him before they entered. If Dailan cried, what about me..
"…may he bring us pride, and may he always uphold the Li name, prestigious as its people are humble and modest. Syaoran, stand up for righteousness and fight justice."
Everyone in the room nodded.
"It is time." Yun Li motioned to Dailan to grab the branding rod. Just as Dailan turned, a scream came from the village outside.
Every man turned their head to the outside. Just then, someone came barging in.
"We're under attack!" he yelled, as a back drop of yellow, red, and orange was seen just behind him. "They've set the houses on fire!"
More screaming could be heard in the back. "Go!" Yun shouted to his men as they all took up their arms and ran outside to defend their people. Syaoran got up on one knee before his father stopped him. "Not you," He turned to Dailan and Yelan. "Finish his branding and cover him up. I will be back.
Syaoran was panicked now. What was going on? His branding was not important. His village was in danger!
Dailan voiced the same thoughts. "Shouldn't we help them?!" he cried.
"Listen to your father, Dailan, pick up the rod." Yelan kneeled behind Syaoran and held his arms down. She kissed the back of his head before she spoke. "You will now carry the name of Li, and with it, the blood of our people and the pride of our insignia." Yelan looked at Dailan, who nodded in affirmation.
"Deep breaths, honey, deep breaths," she whispered. She squeezed his arms as Dailan pulled the rod out of the fire. It burned a bright and brilliant golden red as he brought it to Syaoran's chest.
"You are Li Syaoran, second son of Li Yun," Dailan carefully drove the rod onto Syaoran's bare skin. Syaoran screamed in pain, just like the village and its people around him.
He woke up, dizzy, his blood pulsing. A searing pain on the left side of his chest reminded him of what just happened. He had passed out.
His mother was bent over him, applying a thick gel-like substance to his wound. She then covered his body with a spongy cloth and wrapped him with linen. Dailan was in the corner, speaking with his father.
Yelan helped clothe Syaoran and urged him to get up. Yun and Dailan walked over to Syaoran.
"We need to go," Dailan said.
"What?"
"We need to go, Syaoran. We need to leave."
Syaoran, still a bit hazy, looked from his father, to his mother, to his brother. Yelan's eyes were watery, but his father's were emotionless.
"Take the path that leads towards the river. You are going to cross it and go onto Kinomoto's land; head east. Always head east." The screaming was loud. The fighting was nearing the place they were in.
Dailan helped Syaoran put on his cloak. He had the bag that his father had bought him earlier on that morning. Dailan had no bag, but was fully clothed in armour and a scroll hanging from his side.
Yelan hugged her boys as tightly as she could. "I love you boys, my Dailan, my Syaoran. You are my pride and my joy."
"I… I don't understand…"
"Yelan," Yun's voice, barely a whisper.
Yelan stepped back and picked up her bow and arrows. "I love you both," she repeated. Syaoran caught a glimpse of her smiling face covered in tears before she disappeared into the mess outside.
Mom, wait! Syaoran tried to call out but his voice was nowhere to be found.
Yun pushed the boys to the hidden back entrance. It was a small door that led to a tunnel and out into the forest. The two boys climbed in and Dailan lit a torch. He started making his way out.
"Syaoran, wait," Yun stopped him. "I've already said my goodbyes to your brother." Yun pulled Syaoran into his wide set arms. Syaoran couldn't stop his tears.
"Father, I don't understand."
"You will one day, my son. Head east. Always head east. To the land of Tomoeda." He pulled away and unlatched his sword from his belt. "Take this, but do not unsheathe it until the time is right."
"When will that be?" Syaoran whimpered, holding back tears.
"Do not reveal who you are. Find the man who hides the cherry blossom."
"Who?" Syaoran was almost convinced his father had gone mad.
"Trust no man but the one who hides the cherry blossom. Find him, give him the scroll."
"Please father, I don't understand!" Syaoran could not contain his tears any longer.
"I love you, Syaoran. May you find it in your heart to forgive me."
"What do you mean?!" he screamed. But Yun just pushed Syaoran into the tunnel and locked the door behind him.
Syaoran fell to his knees and cried.
"Syaoran!" Dailan shouted from the distance. "Syaoran we need to go!"
Syaoran somehow found the strength to bring him off his knees and to run after his brother.
A few minutes later, they had made it out into the darkness and cold of the night. Syaoran and Dailan turned only to see their beloved home engulfed in flames. The clangs and pangs of metal against metal, the cries of the men and women fighting for their lives.
"Don't look," Dailan spoke. But Syaoran could tell that Dailan was crying, too.
The two started making their way east when they heard shouts coming from the tunnel they had just come out of.
"He escaped through here!"
"Find him!"
Syaoran's heart dropped. They were looking for them.
Dailan took Syaoran's hand and ran. They stopped at an large old-looking tree. It's branches grew higher than the eye could see. It's leaves, large enough to keep the ground beneath it dry on a rainy day. Dailan untied his cloak and wrapped it around Syaoran. He took a small knife from his boot and put it on Syaoran's belt. He took the sword that Yun had given Syaoran and put attached that onto Syaoran's belt, too.
He then took his brother's hands into his own. "Do you remember what father told you?"
Syaoran nodded.
"Tell me."
"Run… scroll… man hiding a cherry blossom."
"What else?"
"Don't reveal my name… don't unsheathe the sword… trust no one."
"Good. Now climb that tree and stay out of sight until the smoke in the village goes out, you hear me? Stay out of sight. Do not get caught."
"What? What about you?"
"I'm not good at climbing trees, you monkey." Dailan hit the side of Syaoran's head, just like he had done yesterday. "Besides, I was never meant to go with you."
Syaoran's heart could not break anymore. "What do you mean…"
"They write your name in the Li Clan Manifest during the feast. Your name isn't in the book."
"I don't exist…"
"The scroll is in your bag." Dailan patted the scroll at his side. "I am the decoy."
Dailan looked long and hard at his teary eyed, dirty-cheeked little brother. "We all knew this day would come, Syaoran. Don't blame father, don't blame yourself." It was Dailan's turn to say goodbye now. He hugged Syaoran. "I've loved you since the day you were born. I am proud to have had known you for as long as I did, proud to be your big brother. They were the happiest 16 years of my life."
He let go. "Now do what father told you." Dailan turned around before he uttered the last words he would say to Syaoran. "Climb that tree, you monkey."
And with that, Li Dailan disappeared.